February 18

The new 20-minute short with Dr. Rosalene and Dr. Watts should now be updated into your Steam folder. c: It's currently Windows-only, but the Mac version should be incoming soon, with the Linux version sometimes this week.

To play it, get the free DLC, and then launch the game manually from the To the Moon \ Minisodes folder in your Steam directory.
[Right click To the Moon from Steam library -> Properties -> Local Files tab -> Browse Local Files]

September 28, 2014

Hey guys, just a heads up that A Bird Story's release date has been set (Friday November 7th, 2014). It will be available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and will be available on Steam and other platforms.

Reviews

“How do I explain why it’s brilliant without spoiling what makes it so?”
9/10 – Eurogamer
“It’s simple, poignant, and full of heart.”
10/10 – GamePro
“To the Moon is a game you must play.”
8/10 – GameSpot
"It is no less than absolutely beautiful."
10/10 – PC PowerPlay
"I guess the music's kinda nice, but I think this game called A Bird Story ripped it off..."
-Developer's Aunt

About This Game

Dr. Rosalene and Dr. Watts have peculiar jobs: They give people another chance to live, all the way from the very beginning... but only in their patients' heads.

Due to the severity of the operation, the new life becomes the last thing the patients remember before drawing their last breath. Thus, the operation is only done to people on their deathbeds, to fulfill what they wish they had done with their lives, but didn’t.

This particular story follows their attempt to fulfill the dream of an elderly man, Johnny. With each step back in time, a new fragment of Johnny's past is revealed. As the two doctors piece together the puzzled events that spanned a life time, they seek to find out just why the frail old man chose his dying wish to be what it is.

And Johnny's last wish is, of course... to go to the moon.

Key Features

A unique story-driven experience

Innovative mix between adventure game elements and classic RPG aesthetics

This game had me from the start. I knew I was going to be filled with emotion following the story and the soundtrack. This was truly a little piece of hidden art. I actually did not want it to end and I must admit that I may have shed a tear. This is one of those stories that makes you not want to take a break to eat or take phone calls. If you want a game full of heart ... this would be your diamond!

To the Moon tells a powerful, moving story that is punctuated by a beautiful soundtrack to successfully achieve what many games try to do – leave a lasting impression.But to overlook this unique game due to that would be a shame because you’ll miss out on an evocative, interactive storytelling experience. This bittersweet tale is a journey that is well-worth taking; it will make you laugh, and maybe even shed a tear or two.

You control Dr. Wyatt and Dr. Rosaleane, scientists who live in a world where it's possible to recreate memories. This enables the scientists to give dying people a chance to live out their final request – even if only in their minds. Our scientists start To the Moon by arriving at the house of a dying, elderly man named John, whose last wish is to visit the moon.From this science-fiction premise evolves one of the most authentic and human stories told in a game in some time. And even this premise starts with a provocative and universal quandary: "How would my life have been altered if I'd taken a different path?" From there, Eva and Neil worm their way into Johnny's past, starting with the recent past and moving backward. With each leap, Johnny's life and personality come more clearly into focus, even as several mysteries complicate the doctors' progress and threaten to potentially derail their success.

The discoveries and deductions that the pair make aren't just theirs; they're yours too. While the story's several strands tie together by the fabulous ending, To the Moon also asks you to read between the lines and draw your own conclusions. Two significant plot points that the story hinges upon are deliberately obfuscated: they can be inferred from a great many references, but the game never feels the need to spell things out. It's a consistently thoughtful game, and all it asks is that you apply some of the same thoughtfulness to your time with it.

It's a game of few pixels, but it makes every single one count. Characters' faces - barely a speck on the screen - are extraordinarily expressive, their body language precisely conveyed.And despite featuring just a couple of cut-scenes, To the Moon manages to deliver gloriously cinematic sequences throughout, through its expert command of its art style and a stirring soundtrack filled with perfect motifs. One recurrent location is a cliff-top where a tall lighthouse overlooks the ocean, and it astonishes every time it's used. The tender musical melodies from the soundtrack. Wistful piano themes come in at the right moments and set the mood perfectly. Even the few tense moments in the game are accompanied by appropriately dramatic music to change the atmosphere entirely.

Its not easy to write about the game, because the only real reason to play it is the story. I could go deeper into the story, but spoiling it would be a great disservice to any potential players...To the Moon captures in six hours many of the difficulties and feelings of what it’s like to live with the memories of the great and terrible times in our own lives. To the Moon is a game you must play!

Score: 81 / 100gamestar.de

Sorry for my bad english.Thanks for reading! If you Like my Review, give me a Thumbs up in Steam.Your help is greatly appreciated :)

I'm meant to be doing IT work right now but I'm bored, so I thought "why don't I review a game?"

Well, I say a game, but To The Moon is more than a game. It's a story, and a damn good one at that. To The Moon sits on a prestigious list of "Games that made me cry". This list features games such as:

On a more serious note, I thoroughly recommend this game to everyone. It has a beautifuly written story that makes me want to replay it again and again, a beautiful soundtrack that deserves the purchase and has beatiful artwork, especially considering this was made in RPG Maker. Even if you aren't a fan of story driven games I'd pick this up, I wasn't and this is probaby in my top 5 games I've played this year.

i don't know what to say but i know for sure this is an experience i will never forget my whole life.

if you play this i know for sure that1- Tears will be shed (you will really really cry)2- Emotions will run high3- you will get goosebumps like never before4- you will question a lot of things in your life and many of the decisions you made since your childhood till this moment.

also the Soundtrack is amazing

do yourself a favor and try it, its just 4 hours long but it will linger in your memory for a very very long time

I know I'm a little late but what this game has delivered to me, made me think, taught me is gonna last a long time. To The Moon, a game developed by FreeBird Studios, makes you play the role of two tech enthusiasts from Sigmund Corp who work to fullfill people's last wish. After a roadkill and a car crash, the two doctors arrive at their latest client's abode. An abandoned lighthouse, a large house with a sick man and his maid and grasslands with animals around is what the doctors find. But when they ask for Mr. John Wyles's dying wish, they get - "He wants to go to the moon."

To The Moon's strong assets :-

A perfectly executed beautiful story which you'll play time and again.

Simplistic gameplay.

Enchanting music which keeps hold of you for a time long enough.

Sceneries embellished by 16 bit graphics.

Well scripted dialogues making you laugh and heartfelt at the same time.

Adorning the atmosphere are the strongly developed characters.

A spellbinding lasting appeal.

"What if you forget or get lost?""Then we can always regroup on the moon, silly!"

Now I've to reciprocate - there was not a single aspect of the game that curbed or strifled the flow of execution in any manner except its short length. It was what you call - near perfection.

To The Moon isn't just a story, it is not just a form of media. It is an experience. You cannot just play the game and forget that you ever did, it gives you an escapade which will accompany you for the best part of your life. To the Moon is peerless and unparalleled. To The Moon is a piece of mastery.

To the Moon was released late 2011 to immense critical acclaim - it received several awards as one of the best Indie-games of 2011. Steam user reviews are also "overwhelmingly positive" (97% positive out of nearly 12.000 reviews is really impressive). That's already quite an achievement by itself, as it was the first game made by the then new and really small development studio "Freebird Games". So I went into this game with quite some expectations, and I am very happy they were all fulfilled, and more.

To put it frankly: as a game that wants to tell an original, emotionally involving story, To the Moon is simply among the very, very best. Its story is so original, so gripping and so sad at some points, that I found myself completely absorbed by it, and I played through the entire game in one day and almost in a single go. That's no exceptional feat: it's not very long, I needed just under six hours to reach the end. But what wonderful six hours these were! Since To the Moon relies for more than 90% on its story and its twists and turns, I won't spoil anything here. Suffice it to say that I felt involved in a way that a good book or a good movie can achieve -and maybe even more.

It's not only the story that is gripping, there is more to it. To the Moon dwells extensively on very important social and philosophical questions, such as the desire to develop one's individuality amid a rather bland society, or man's right to decide (or not) on his own life's ending. Heavy and even depressing as this may sound, in reality the game succeeds wonderfully in touching these delicate issues in a subtle way, made all the more digestible by its great use of humour. I found myself quite often laughing aloud, only to feel tears coming up the next minute or so. It's this so difficult to achieve balance between humour and depth, that makes this game outstanding and a true piece of art. Dialogues, of which there are plenty, are simply masterful: all credits to the story- and copy-writers for this one.

Not everything is perfect, though: the actual gameplay is rather bland and even repetitive, since it mostly involves moving the two playable characters around on a small map and interacting with objcets and other persons in a rather straightforward point-and-click adventure-syle. Happily, the inventory is kept very simple, but there are is a whole series of mini- (even micro-) games that is simply boring. But even this rather disappointing gameplay vanishes into nothing thanks to the story and the emotions it evokes. The subtle 16-bit graphics are quite interesting: even though heavily pixelated, they manage to bring across quite some detail, even on an emotional level.

All in all, this is a gem of a game; a testimony to the fact that Indie-games have evolved into gamings most innovative department, where content is so much more important than package. It's a must-have for anyone who takes his gaming even a tiny bit serious.

Warning: For now, on Linux and Mac platforms, the features are still unstable, you won't get an achievement, after you finished the game, and a bonus game, which is attached into the game's folder. So try to avoid playing on Linux and play on Windows instead.

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Have you ever met someone who loves doing a job for dying people, making their wishes come true? Only get supports from those who are going to die and only get accepted from those who are already dead? Most importantly, how hard does it take to get the job done? What will you receive after making other people's wishes come true since they will be already dead after that?

This game is all about the story of a dying old man and his one last wish. You will absorb its heart-felt story through your playing. The soundtracks keep your mood on a good pace throughout all the scenes. Great characters you would grow to love. Every character has its own important role that will effect your feeling in a quite good impact.

Its story simply, quietly, gently, made me shed tears. After I finished the game, I re-played all soundtracks and still felt so much feel. Give it a try. I'm sure It'd be worth every bit of both your cent and your time.

No need to tell about the story - you already read about that in the description, so I just want to tell about what it is to be played. It is the most emotional and heart touching game for me.Because of the graphic style it doesn't look like a classic p&c adventure game at first sight, but it really is! Nothing for those that need hard puzzles to enjoy a game though. Some people might prefer to classify it as a kind of interactive story because of the easy puzzeles but that's not the point here.It touches your heart deeply and I read a lot of times about adults commenting that were stirred to tears or cried during the play while the story enfolds more and more (also males!).Several games managed to catch me at some scenes or with the story (sometimes sad and sometimes funny) but I never finished a game crying before this one. Also Laura singing that song is really awesome.

This game will leave you with lots of thoughts about life and death, dreams and much more ... so be prepared.

While some games are easily memorable for their gameplay, others will stood out by their Story. To the Moon is a game where the story is clearly the winner and it’s the reason why everyone should spend their time playing it. I’ll start by saying that it may not be a game that will please most of the players but consider starting the game with an open heart and the experience will be a remarkable one. The two main characters are doctors who go by the name of Watts and Rosalene and their jobs can be many things, but common isn’t one of them. They can provide an alternative, a different path to the ones whose life is approaching the end. During the story, your role is to help your patient to fulfil his wish: going to the moon. While it may seem an odd thing to wish for, there may be a reason for it, but that, is up to you to find out.

You start by going from the most recent memories to the older ones, until you reach the point where you may find key-points in the Johnny’s past. But as you advance in the game you start to create a bond to his memories which can be odd, considering it’s just a job and Johnny is a stranger for you, but remember, if you let yourself immerse into the story you will end playing a much better game this way. There’s not much to be said about the Story itself without spoiling most of it to be honest. The game is very straight to the point, hence its short length but this can be a good thing because there won’t be any unnecessary time spent doing pointless quests or wandering off for long. You have a goal, this is your job and emotions should be left aside, but play this game as intended and emotions will surely make part of this experience. As they should.

The music/soundtrack is as much important as the story because during certain events you will be listening to a nice piano tune that will provide warm feelings or a sense of loss, sadness and curiosity. I don’t believe the game to be any sort of depressing, as humor also plays an important role in To the Moon. Small conversations with some jokes and jests will arise from time to time to create a lighter mood since, after all, this is your goal and you shouldn’t let your personal feelings obstruct your intents. While I’m sure many will leave satisfied with the story (weather you end up liking the very end or not) and the music as well, do not come expecting some heavy gameplay mechanics or a rather lengthy game. I believe its short size can be a strong point this time because it takes you right where you need to be so I would advise to not measure your time and money invested with the length of the game but rather in its storytelling. If you are able to past the simple visuals with almost no gameplay mechanics, and if you let yourself engage in the Story while listening to the wonderful soundtrack then To the Moon will be a perfect fit to play in the between of any other lengthier games you are currently playing. It’s a respectable violence-free game, short but sweet experience filled with some humor, remarkable music and probably some tears as well. Play the game as intended, do not haste, do not do anything else while playing it and I’m sure your money will be a good investment. Enjoy the story.

PS: As you may have noticed, English is not my first language so I apologize for the lack of a better grammar and steady writing.

It's a short game, but I would definitely say it's worth the purchase. The soundtrack is superb, it evokes a lot of emotion. I personally find it important to have a good soundtrack let alone a great story. I loved the way they progressed through the story backwards and still successfully made the game play out smoothly. I wouldn't suggest buying this game if you're purchasing games for gameplay or graphics. To the Moon is basically a story but you have to push buttons to read it. When I first began the game, I had a mindset where I believed the story was going to be linear, predictable. But I was wrong! I found myself wanting to know more, because a lot is left out and told to you later. I didn't think the game was "too short," I thought it was perfect. Just like watching a movie.

Granting a bed ridden elderly person's wish through altering his memory. Interesting. Throughout the game you will realize that you will be encountering powerful symbolism and significant events that led to the present day John.

Probably the most beautiful pixelated game I have ever played. It's easy to finish, but the storyline is amazing - you will laugh, you will cry (or at least it moves your feelings a bit). Recommended to everyone.

"A story-driven experience about two doctors traversing backwards through a dying man's memories, in order to artificially fulfill his last wish."

♥ I have finished this game ♥

This is a beautiful and well thought out game. It's no easy feat to create a story that progresses backwards in time so that you can fully appreciate the present. The game is short, which may be a perk for some and not others. I feel the length of this game was perfect. There are many references in this game, and it's fun to find them! The sound track is beautiful and really helps influence your emotions.

This game is emotion and story driven. As for gameplay mechanics, you basically walk around (using your mouse), collecting memories so that you can progress to the next period in time. You watch this dying man's life unfold from the present until he was a young child. This is a heavy dialog game, and you have to click to go through the dialog. So walking, collecting, and dialog. Each time you progress to the next point in time, you have to solve a little puzzle. The puzzles aren't that difficult, and I found it kind of fun.

You grow to really care about the characters. You sympathise with them.

If you do not shed even one little tear at the end, you might want to have yourself tested. You may in fact not be human.